Uchi e kaete imasu
by TheBlackWingedHorse
Summary: The failure of the air system happens 12 yrs later. Clarke is the chancellor now, and things are going to be a little different this time - only a little though. Let's see how this changes things.
1. Chapter 1

It all started when out of the blue, Chancellor Griffin knocked on the door of Bellamy's single dorm that he had to share with his sister.

Before this day he had some encounters with the Princess of the ark only a few times, and none of them were particularly fond memories of his. And he had left each encounter feeling the exact same thing - every damn time – that he'll never come to understand her agenda.

This chancellor was famous for her unconventional methods and general flexibility towards the rules of exodus charter. Though it's not to say that she hadn't floated people in her time as chancellor. There was a particular case of stolen medicine where she had to float the accused but Bellamy particularly remembers that case, because contrary to the norm, the accused was given a week's time with his family and was allowed to see his daughter get better before he was floated. This was unprecedented in the history of the ark and had earned the chancellor Bellamy's respect.

Anyway, coming back to the present moment, Bellamy finds himself in a unusual situation where royalty has graced his humble (overstatement) abode, and he says as much: "Are you lost?"

"Clarke?", a voice sounds behind him and he turns to find his sister looking at his visitor curiously.

"You know her, O?"

Clarke smiles at her fondly "hey Octavia, how are you doing?"

"Surviving." Octavia replies with the same warmth, "Are you here because you missed the last chess session? Man you are hardcore."

"It's a chess class. And no, I'm actually here to talk to your brother."

Bellamy who had been looking between the two women in bafflement looked up at this "me? What does the Princess want with me?"

Clarke didn't even bat an eyelash at the nickname but his sister hissed out a 'bell'

"Are you going to let me in then?" Clarke asks raising an eyebrow, her hip cocked, hands folded on across her chest.

"Who can say no to your highness?"

If Clarke was perturbed by his constant mocking she didn't show it. She entered his living quarters looking around as if inspecting it for hidden traps. Bellamy took in the sight – Clarke looked odd standing in his space - not like she didn't belong but more like she belonged too much. Any space she entered became hers – it was unnerving.

Clarke had been the youngest Chancellor in the history of the ark, becoming one at a young age of 28. In her campaign she hadn't promised much ; just that if she were to be instated she would treat everyone fairly and equally. Considering she was already famous among the common masses as a caring healer and her being one of the upper elites, she had won with a landslide.

Bellamy shook himself out of his thoughts "So what can I do for you today, Your Majesty."

"You can stop mocking her." Octavia piped in from behind her. Clarke turned to give her a grateful smile and Bellamy contained himself so as not to smile at the scene.

When she turned to face him the smile was gone and was replaced by a smirk, "You can accept my offer of becoming a councilman." She said in the same bored tone as someone would use while saying 'I want to eat a fruit'.

Bellamy sputtered. "What?"

Clarke cocked her head, "Did I stutter?"

The insolence brought Bellamy back to earth (metaphorically), "With all due respect," Clarke and Octavia snorted and Bellamy ignored them, "Chancellor how do you propose I do that?"

"I thought I was clear, I ask you to become one and you accept my offer."

"I mean to say," Bellamy said with difficulty pinching the bridge of his nose, "how does a janitor with a felon – dead – mother and an illegal sister become a councilman. Aren't there laws against that."

"Ah!" Clarke nodded in understanding, "The law prohibits you from entering the elections, you are not going to be entering elections."

"Then how -?" Octavia started while Bellamy remained impassive having an inkling what she was suggesting and not liking it.

"Every Chancellor gets to appoint one councilman or woman at his or her appointment, I hadn't appointed anyone to the post when I became one so I have a due and as it happens I need a comrade now so I am cashing my I.O.U., by appointing you as a councilman."

Octavia whistled, "that's one heck of an I.O.U.!"

Bellamy had to agree, that was some broken shit. For a moment he considered the offer, to be able to afford better living quarters for him and Octavia, better rations, better life even. But then he came back to reality and realized that nothing was free. So this offer clearly had some hidden agenda behind it.  
Bellamy crossed his arms and gave his best impression of an unimpressed look, "So what's the catch?"

Clarke shrugged bending over a stool to pick up his old battered copy of The Iliad, "No catch, there's just an agenda I've been trying to get passed in the council and it seems I need an ally."

"So you want me to be a puppet just giving my vote to whatever agenda you have."

Clarke gave a feral grin which made her look like a smirking lion, "Believe me Mr. Blake if I wanted a puppet I would have gone to practically anyone beside you. I've come to you because I believe you would be interested in seeing my agenda pass." There was a pause where they stared each other down and then she spoke again, "so if you have no more issues do I consider the proposal accepted?"

Bellamy thought about it and then he asked the question that had been on his mind since he had heard the proposal, "Why me? You don't even know me enough to make those assumptions."

Clarke smiled, a real smile small and knowing and damn him if his breath didn't catch, "I know you enough, you forget that I have known Octavia for some time now and all she has said about you leads me to believe that you are a good man. As for the qualities required for a councilman you are a union rep. You have the support of most of your people and even those who might not like you respect you. If you were allowed to run for the council seat from your district you would definitely win. I do my homework Mr. Blake, do you accept my proposal now?"

Bellamy ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit, and asked, "can you give me some time to think?"

Clarke nodded looking down at her watch (which Bellamy noticed did not belong on a woman's wrist but still suited her so), "Octavia missed her chess lesson so I have time for a match but then I would require an answer."

Bellamy nodded he knew Octavia had improved a lot since she started having her lessons so he was certain that he would have enough time to think this through.  
Clarke turned to Octavia who had been listening on their conversation and had already done taken out her chess set that Bellamy had made for her last birthday.  
Bellamy turned away, considering the offer seriously. On one hand it would really improve his life if he were to accept, on the other hand could he really trust Clarke Griffin?

For all the 'homework' she had done on him she still didn't know him what if he disagreed with her agenda what will she do then kick him off the council do something worse? It all came down to what kind of person she was. As Bellamy was thinking this he had inadvertently started watching Clarke and Octavia play. While watching them he came to know certain things about her, having made up his mind he said, "Okay I accept your offer."

Clarke turned to smile at him, "thank you. I look forward to a harmonious relationship." Turning to the board she moves a piece, "Checkmate."

Bellamy suddenly feels like he has walked into a trap.

 **Cross posted from AO3**


	2. Chapter 2

Bellamy stands outside the door to the medical wing shifting from one foot to another, he's nervous. The council meeting is today. Today Clarke is going to appoint anoint him a councilman and a new life is going to begin for him, but first he has to hear about the agenda and come to a decision whether or not to support it.

Finally mustering up the courage, he knocks on the door and waits. He doesn't have to wait long before the door opens to reveal a rumpled Clarke. Her hair is in disarray and she's sweating but her clothes look fine if a little sticky. "What have you been doing?" he asks with a single eyebrow raised before he can stop himself.

Clarke flushes even further at the implication, "Not that it's any of your business, but I have been exercising. Trying to keep healthy. Come in."

Bellamy enters the small clinic that was opened up in the workers' station a few years back by none other than Clarke herself. Sometimes he doesn't understand her, how Clarke's mind works is a mystery to him. He takes a quick look around. It's a small space stocked with the bare essentials but had proven to save many lives since it was established, which just goes to show how poorly the workers have been treated in the Ark.

"So what's this super important agenda of yours?"

"Before we get to it can you sign this NDA? You are not yet a councilman and you are not bound by the council laws. To ensure that you don't discuss this with anyone I need you to sign this Non Disclosure Agreement."

Bellamy nods and signs the agreement wondering what she's about to reveal that if shared would be punishable by death (what wasn't punishable by death on the Ark anyway).

Then she drops the bomb.

"The Ark is dying." She says with a grim face.

Bellamy stands there dumbfounded. What?

Before he could fully process the information Clarke ploughs on, "The life support system is failing and we don't have the time required to fix it. It requires an extra 5 months to fix the system,- if we can fix it- and we only have 3 months of oxygen left. To create time, the council wants to order a culling. Kill 400 people and leave time for the others to maybe live."

She opens her mouth to continue but Bellamy cuts her off, "That's your agenda you thought I would support? What do you take me for?" Bellamy is seething.

Clarke holds up a hand to stop his tirade, "I said that's what council plans on doing. I never said anything about me." She waits for that to sink in. When Bellamy calms down she continues.

"I plan to see if the ground is survivable again."

There is a moment of ringing silence before Bellamy asks, "Who do you plan to send?"

"The former delinquents."

Bellamy erupts, "If you think I'm going to let you send my sister to her death you are sorely mistaken."

"Will you let me finish explaining before you go on about how evil me and my plan are?" Clarke snaps, finally frustrated. Bellamy would feel a little sense of victory at finally cracking her calm façade if he was not so conscientious of his sister's impending doom. But he quiets and lets her continue.

"As they are former criminals their life on the Ark is awful. They are the bottom of the pyramid getting the worst rations, worst facilities, worst job assignments. So they won't be missed terribly if they were to be treated as experiments."

Clarke says this all in her most clinical Councilwoman voice and it makes Bellamy beyond angry but he holds his tongue letting her continue.

"They will be given a choice. They would be told that the Ark is dying and that they are being given a choice to be part of an expedition to the ground to see if it's survivable. Of course they will have to sign an NDA soand if they don't tell anyone, but about the ark dying they will also have every right to refuse."

Bellamy thinks over everything he has been in the told. It sounds horrifying. The only hope for the human race has left is dying. And the only way to save them is either a risky gamble or mass murder of their own people. But Bellamy has to admit that the gamble looks like the lesser of two evils, sacrificing people who already signed up for it seems marginally better than killing a random selection of them. But there's still a problem.

"What happens when the experiment fails." Bellamy asks.

" If the experiment fails then you fight like hell to save as many people you can." Clarke replies with a grave expression.

"I fight like hell? What will you be doing?"

"I will be on the ground."

The proposal passes, barely, with Bellamy being the deciding vote. Her decision to bring in Bellamy was met with a lot of dissent but with Wells' help they were able to quiet all the protests. It was decided that the chancellor and one council member would be going to talk with all the candidates individually.

The list was prepared-

Jasper Jordan- a low level farmer

Monty Green- a novice engineer

Nathan Miller- a prison guard

Harper McIntyre- a factory worker

Octavia Blake- seamstress

John Murphy- a factory worker

It went on with maybe a hundred names on it.

Bellamy glared at his sister's name on the list, not liking it one bit. He had been adamant on being the council member to accompany Clarke when she went to meet his sister and had, with difficulty, won his case.

Now he was sitting in his chambers standing next to Octavia, glaring at Clarke as she laid out her plan.

Octavia jumped up as soon as she was finished, "I'll do it. I'll go."

Clarke blinked, giving a glance to Bellamy who looked about to vomit before focusing back on Octavia, "Are you sure? It's a big gamble. We don't know if the earth is survivable and we most probably will die as soon as we reach the ground."

"But you are going, right? So I'm going too," She looks over to Bellamy, "and no one can dissuade me from this." She says this while glaring at Bellamy.

Clarke looks between the two, "Okay, then, I'll add your name to the list." She says getting up and leaving.

"What the fuck O?" Bellamy bursts as soon as the door closes behind Clarke, "Why are you so hell bent on dying. I only agreed to the proposal because I was sure you were not stupid enough to actually do it!"

"Bell, I'm dying here anyways." She says in a quiet voice, and it stops him in his tracks anyway.

"Everyday as soon as I leave this room I'm followed by glares. Everywhere I go rumors circulate around me. I should have died when I turned 18, but I didn't."

"O..." Bellamy starts.

"The only time I feel even remotely normal is when I'm playing chess with Clarke. So yes, if there's any chance that the earth is survivable and gives me another chance at life I'm taking it. And you can't talk me out of it."

Bellamy nods once and leaves their shared apartment.

Bellamy knocks on the door and enters before hearing a response. Clarke looks up from sorting bandages.

"I'm going to the ground."

 **Thanks to vicariousgecko @ tumblr for being an amazing beta and talking me through the whole chapter.**

 **Couldn't have done it without you.**


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